This invention relates to a process for controlling oil and fat content in cooked food. More particularly, this invention relates to such a process which utilizes animal muscle protein or a peptide composition derived from animal muscle protein to control oil and fat content in food and to the food product utilized in the process.
Prior to the present invention, foods such as meat, vegetables, fish, nuts, pastry, fritters, doughnuts or the like cooked at an elevated temperature in oil and/or fat absorb the oil and/or fat. These cooking processes are commonly referred to as “deep fat frying” or as “sautéing”. When the food is only partially cooked in fat and/or oil, the cooked food is referred to as “par fried”. The fried food then is subsequently fully cooked such as by baking. When cooked in this manner, the cooked food undesirably absorbs the fat or oil thereby reducing its nutritional and dietary value. A prior solution for reducing fat or oil absorption by the food during cooking is to coat the food with a substance such as pectin prior to contacting the food with the heated oil or fat. This solution is undesirable since significant oil or fat absorption by the food still occurs.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a form of food including fish, meat, vegetables, pastry or the like which can be cooked while minimizing or preventing absorption of oil or fat by the food during cooking. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a form of food which is not less nutritional than the original food or which is even more nutritional than the original food to be cooked. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a form of food wherein the majority of moisture or added flavors or spices in the uncooked food is retained during cooking.